


How to be happy.

by Fefipranon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A year to remember, F/M, First Impressions, RivaMika Jam, RivaMika Week, Rivamika year, levimika - Freeform, rivamika weekend, rivamikaevents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28809051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fefipranon/pseuds/Fefipranon
Summary: What would happen if Mikasa was pulled out of her universe into ours after Eren saved her? What would happen when Levi is pulled out of the rumbling straight into Mikasa's apartment in our world?
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman/Levi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	How to be happy.

**Author's Note:**

> My last-minute work for the rivamika weekend event.

Working in his unorganized laboratory in Michigan, Daizen was testing his new scientific prototype in order to prove his multiverse theory. He has been working on this project for the last twenty years of his life in hopes to win a Nobel Prize. He plugs in his machine, loads the new algorithm, and started the new improved process. The machine, which looked like a big electronic metallic circle, started lighting up making crackling electronic noises and a vortex started forming in the middle of it at the same time that all the papers in Daizen laboratory started to fly around looking like a hurricane had emerged in the middle of it. He started struggling with the mess, and the pull from the vortex when he was shoved back against the wall. He tried to move to power it off, trying to crawl towards it, getting closer to it, little by little. 

Meanwhile, in another universe, eight-year-old Mikasa was being saved by Eren when three criminals invaded her home and killed her parents. She had just killed the last of the criminals alive, saving Eren's life in the end. As Eren placed his red scarf on her neck and his father Grisha arrived, a sudden storm like circle started to appear inside Mikasa's house. Lightning and crackling noises were heard, and Eren held onto Mikasa tightly as she had her eyes glued into the circle. Suddenly, she saw a man, crawling towards the circle, a man she recognized, her father. 

"Dad?", she whispered in shock while she looked between the man crawling inside the eerie circle and the dead body of her dad that was on the floor of her house. She pushed Eren aside with inhuman strength and with tears running down her cheeks, she ran towards the circle making the circle close after pulling her in. 

Mikasa flew straight into Daizen's arms when the vortex stopped and the machine turned off alongside the city lights of a whole block around his laboratory. It was dark, and Daizen was trying to comprehend what really happened and who was the little girl who came out of the vortex. She was sobbing in his arms as he hugged her trying to calm her down. The emergency lights of the laboratory turned on reacting to the power outage caused by Daizen's machine. He looked into the little girl's eyes as she looked back and said, 

"I thought that you were dead Dad. They killed mom too!"

"Dad?", he whispered to himself. 

He knew that there was an infinity of possibilities in what life could be in other universes. Maybe the one he had access to, he was a father and this little girl was his daughter. He felt a sudden urge to protect her, he never had a family, his entire life was devoted to his research, but this, right here right now, made him feel full and warm, as he whispered to himself, "Family".

*****Seventeen years later*****

"Mikasa come on! You said that you would come shopping with us!", Sasha shouted at a crazed Mikasa who was working on her own laboratory she made in a room of her house. 

"I am so close! Give me a minute!", Mikasa said. 

She was working on an updated version of her father's vortex machine. His dad had been missing for six months now and she was sure that he was sucked into the vortex and ended up in an alternate universe and she was set to find him no matter what it took. She turned on the machine and loaded the algorithm. The machine did a little hum sound, crackled, and turned off. She sighed in defeat, and said, 

"I will get ready now then."

"Is about time!", Christa shouted while Ymir rolled her eyes. 

She has been friends with these girls since she started school in this new world. Her dad forbade her to talk about her birth universe since he wasn't able to replicate the vortex since that night when she arrived at this new world and people would think that she was crazy. So, she just adapted to this new world making friends and learning all she could about her father's research on her house through all these years. They all worked at the research center of a university that was lead by Erwin Smith and his wife who was the head scientist, Hange Zoe. They had invited all the young scientists to a picnic at their house the next day and almost everyone was inviting a plus one. Almost. 

"So Mikasa, who will be your lucky plus one?", Sasha asked her wiggling her eyebrows. 

Mikasa was tired of everyone asking her if she had a boyfriend or partner in her life, and the condescending looks she got when she said she wasn't interested in that kind of stuff. It didn't help that the only guy she had feelings for, Eren, was bringing his plus one to the picnic, and asked her if she was bringing one, she panicked and made a boyfriend up out of nowhere. Now she had to find an excuse for him to not be there because being 'imaginary' wasn't a decent excuse enough. 

"Is he coming?", Christa asked. 

"He has work tomorrow so he will not make it.", Mikasa said dismissively. 

"Right, work, like all the five times that we had tried to meet him, of course.", Ymir said suspiciously. 

"Exactly.", Mikasa said giving her a death stare.

After a full day of shopping with the girls, Mikasa arrived at her house spent. She took her clothes off, turned on the hot water, ready for a much needed warm bath.

Meanwhile, in her birth universe, Levi and the alliance were fighting a crazed Eren that was basically berserk killing everyone outside of paradise. He was in a hole talking about a plan to stop Eren when he started thinking of his fallen comrades and the disaster the real world turned out to be. 

"We are going to kill Eren and save Armin, we have to divide into two groups for that.", he said as everyone was listening to him. 

Suddenly a vortex opened behind him, causing lightning and throwing everyone to the floor, a hand came out from the vortex and pulled Levi in from the back of his shirt. Suddenly, Levi was in Ymir's paths with Daizen looking back at him. 

"Who the fuck are you? Where is that bitch?! I will kill Ymir myself!", Levi shouted. 

"Levi, I am here to help you, take your bandages off.", the man said. 

Levi stared suspiciously at the man but did as he was told. 

"Stick your injured hand into the sand.", the man said and Levi obliged. 

When he took his hand out his missing fingers were restored. The man didn't have to tell him the next instruction when he stuck his head into the sand like an ostrich. 

His injured eye and face was restored, then he looked at Daizen and said, 

"Thanks for the help, now get me back, my team needs me."

"You have helped enough already, I will take care of it from now on.", Daizen said. 

"What the fuck are you talking about?!", Levi shouted. 

"I will take care of Eren and save humanity.", Daizen said. 

"How?", Levi said while raising a brow.

Daizen ignored him, took out a device from his pocket, and started tinkering with it. While he said, 

"It's time for you to be happy, I need you to find Mikasa Ackerman."

"Me? Happy? How can I think of crap like that when Eren is killing everyone! The motherfucker has anger issues, he is killing babies and kicking puppies, he is in another level of evil. It's not the time to think in emotional crap like that. Take me back!", Levi said. 

A vortex opened behind him and Daizen said, "Find her, Mikasa Ackerman, she is my daughter. Don't worry about things here, I will take care of the bitch." and pushed Levi into the vortex while Levi shouted curses at him not believing a word he said. 

Mikasa's Vortex machine turned on with a low hum sound, and a vortex appeared in the middle of it spitting out a cursing Levi straight to her lab room in her house. 

"Son of a bitch!", Levi shouted.

He looked around the small room and saw the door. He was angry, looking for the man that pushed him into the vortex. He opened the laboratory door and saw the kitchen of the house, he looked in confusion at the different gadgets he had not seen before. He saw a big box that had a handle on a door like part of it, he pulled it open and got hit with the cold of the fridge as he saw the food in it he thought, _What sorcery is this?_ Then he heard the water flow from the bathroom and thought, _Got you motherfucker_ , as he slowly walked towards the noise. 

He arrived at the bathroom door and slowly opened it, sword in hand, he was met with the steam of hot water filling up the bathroom. _A titan!_ he thought, as he got closer to the tub curtain. He grabbed the curtain, flew it open, yelled, "Got you motherfucker!", and pointed his sword at... a screaming and very naked Mikasa. 

His jaw dropped at the sight, and instantly he dropped his sword. Mikasa was trying to cover herself as he just stared at her suspiciously. 

"Are you shifter or something?!", he yelled getting closer to her, into the tub. 

"Get out of my tub you pervert!", Mikasa yelled. 

"What are you?!", Levi yelled back at her shaking her by the shoulders. 

"A naked woman you idiot!", Mikasa shouted back. 

At her words, he realized that she was indeed naked and that the steam came from the hot water that was pouring from a magic hose, now onto him too. He looked in confusion at the hose and touched it as he said, 

"Are you a witch?"

"Look, I don't know from what mental hospital you broke free, but you are going back! Now get out of my tub!", Mikasa shouted fighting him. 

Levi grabbed her wrists to keep her from fighting him, pulled her close to him against his body, and looked at her straight in the eye. With hot water pouring on both of them, he asked her, "What's your name?"

She looked back at him in defiance and said, "Mikasa"

"Last name?", he asked.

"Do you want me to give you my social security number too you freak?!", Mikasa shouted. 

"Is it Ackerman? Are you Mikasa Ackerman?", Levi shouted back not knowing what the fuck she meant with the social security number shit.

She nodded now curious about the intruder, then he said, "Your dad sent me here, but I need to go back, do you know how to do that?"

She froze for a moment and said, "Dad?"

"Yes, that crazy son of a bitch, he told me to find you and some shit about happiness when the world is ending thanks to a raging asshole that is killing all of humanity!", Levi shouted. 

_World ending? killing humanity?_ Mikasa thought as she realized that he must be from another universe for that to make any sense. Adding to that, he knew her dad, he definitely was from another part of the multiverse. 

"Look, you jumped to another universe, here is not the end of the world, and there is no asshole killing humanity.", she said trying to calm him down. 

"Universe? What do you mean? There are no titans here?", he said confused. 

"Another world, no there are no titans here. You come from another world.", she said. 

"Can you get me back to my world then?", he asked me, clearly panicking. 

"Yes, I can try, but first let me FINISH MY BATH!", Mikasa yelled at him making him realize he was holding a naked woman. He suddenly blushed and let her go. He got out of the tub and Mikasa closed the curtain. 

"Just wait until I am done and don't touch anything!", she yelled. 

Levi walked out of her room looking at the strange house. He was wet from the hot water from the shower, so he took his shirt, gear, and boots off. He saw an opening to an outside balcony, he walked fast to it but he hit his head with a cristal door he didn't know that was there. He cursed under his breath, touched the crystal, and figured how to open that damned transparent door. When he opened the door he was hit with the cold air of a breeze that made him gasp. He ran back in and closed the door. He was trying to figure out how the temperature of the house was different from outside when there was no fireplace in sight. 

"Hey", Mikasa said looking at him. 

She was covered by a towel, and had another one in her hand and threw it to him. She was shocked when she saw him there shirtless and shivering. He was pure lean muscle and looked like one of those models of underwear. She shook her head and said, 

"You are making my floor wet, dry yourself."

Levi grabbed the fluffy and soft towel and wrapped it around him, surprised at how warm it was. He was used to old rags used as towels back in his world, this towel was a commodity that he was definitely enjoying. Not that he would tell anyone of course. 

"Did my father told you anything else?", Mikasa asked. 

"That he would take care of the mess that is happening in my world. There is a war, a man that controls titans is killing humanity, all of my friends have died for the cause and we were finally getting to him but your dad appeared. I need to know if he will really end the war, otherwise, my team needs me.", he said almost pleading. 

"I've been looking for my father for months now, but having someone from the world he is right now will facilitate the search. I need a blood sample from you, the frequency of your cells will tell me where you come from, from there I can pinpoint him and ask him for visuals. Now, to be able to transport you back there, that will take more time, but let's start by checking what is going on so we can know the urgency of you being back.", she said calming him down a little. 

She got into her room and got dressed, walked to him, and took a blood sample, then she guided him to the bathroom and said, 

"You should take a bath, you are already wet anyway, and trying to make contact with my dad will take time."

She showed him how to work the hot water temperature, where the soap was and an extra towel for when he is done. He was in awe of all the luxury that this world had. Part of him felt guilty for enjoying these things when in his world his comrades were suffering and getting killed in horrible ways. He shook the thought out of his head, she was going to get him back, she had to, right? 

Mikasa placed a couple of drops of his blood in a machine for analysis. After a couple of minutes, she got the frequency number of it, and it was an eerie familiar number. She ran to a cabinet where she stored old data and went through the folders until she found what she was looking for. She opened the folder and saw the results from her own blood test, the frequency number was the same. She knew her story, Daizen always told her the truth about her parents and the different universes. It was clear, that man came from the same world she came. 

"My name is Levi by the way.", he said getting her out of her thoughts. 

He was leaning against the doorframe of her laboratory only wearing the towel wrapped low on his hips. Mikasa found herself looking at him for a little more than what a normal person look would be. Trying to get her mind out of the sexy ripped man that appeared at her house from another fucking universe, she moved to her computer to set the destination frequency and start the machine. The machine started to power up then she said, 

"This might take a while, let's get you something to wear."

"Where are my clothes?", Levi asked. 

"They are in the washing machine, I will put them in the dryer once they are clean.", Mikasa said. 

"You have a machine that washes your clothes?!", he said in shock.

"Yes, and another one that dries them.", Mikasa said. 

Curious about machines doing everything in this world he asked, "How do you clean? Is there a machine for that too?"

Mikasa showed him the vacuum cleaner, she turned it on and passed it on a rug while Levi looked at it in shock then he said, "So that thing, sucks the dirt into that little can, without making any more mess?!"

"Yes", Mikasa said as Levi looked at the vacuum cleaner thinking if it was possible to fall in love with a machine because he certainly was falling in love with this one. 

They walked to her room and she took out an oversized shirt she generally used to sleep, and oversized sweatpants. She threw them at him and he grabbed them, then she said, 

"I think those will fit you, get dressed, and met me back at the room that you just found me in."

Levi waited for her to leave the room and started to get dressed, the warm and soft shirt fit him perfectly, and the soft fluffy sweatpants felt like heaven on his legs. He was used to rough clothes overused over years, all of these new luxuries were new to him. He walked back to the laboratory and saw an image forming in the metal circle. 

"I made contact with my father's device, let's see if he answers.", Mikasa said. 

Suddenly, the image went live with Daizen's face looking back at them from inside the circle. 

"Oh, hey you.", Daizen said with a smile. 

"Do you care to explain yourself!? I've been worried sick for you for six months now!", Mikasa shouted. 

"Six months!?", he shouted.

"Yes!", Mikasa said in disbelief.

"I guess I was just having a good time!", he said and laughed. 

"Can you explain to me the random man you threw into my house!", Mikasa shouted. 

"Oh, Levi! Hey Levi! I see you made it!", Daizen said. 

"I want to know what is happening in my world!", Levi said. 

"Oh, I already fixed it, it turns out Eren was under Ymir's control. I grabbed the bitch and threw her in a universe that is reigned by pigs, something like 'Planet of the Apes' but with pigs. Once she was gone, all titans disappeared, even Eren is safe now, confused as hell because he doesn't remember shit but he is alive.", Daizen said. 

"Planet of the Apes?", Levi said in confusion. 

"Oh that's right you don't know about stuff like that, Mika, show him that movie so he can understand. I will stay here a little longer to help with the peace talks between Eldians and the rest of the world then I will be back.", Daizen said. 

Daizen then proceeded to show a series of videos of everyone celebrating the end of the war, the alliance hugging a very confused Eren, and more celebration videos. Levi sighed relieved with watery eyes at the sight of his world finally rid of titans and Eldians finally being free. Then Mikasa asked Daizen, 

"Why? Why the planet where I came from?", Mikasa asked Daizen. 

"Well, since the day you arrived at me I wanted to know more about you and your planet. That planet gave me such a beautiful gift that I wanted to do something in exchange, I followed Levi over the years, his struggles and losses, and thought that it was time for him to be at peace so I technically kidnapped him. Sorry man! If you want to come back my daughter can make it possible, it will take her time though, but you will be able to come back if that is really what you want.", Daizen said winking at them, then he said, "I have to go now, have fun!", and the image disappeared. 

"Where you come from?", Levi said.

Mikasa sighed and said, "Seventeen years ago Daizen pulled me into this world from your world on accident." 

"Oh", was everything Levi could say. 

"Look, I have to go tomorrow to a work picnic thing, I need to rest, and setting up the machine to transport you back will take more than a week. So you will have to live here until then.", Mikasa said. 

Levi had so many questions about this world, but he didn't even know how to start asking. Mikasa guided him to sit on a couch that had a black square in front of it. She turned on the television to play 'Planet of the Apes' for him, the television showed the news channel when she turned it on. Before she could change it to play the movie Levi ran to the television and started shaking it,

"You are going to break my television!", Mikasa shouted. 

"There are little people trapped inside of it! We have to save them! Can't you see them?!", Levi shouted at her pointing at the news anchors on the television. 

"They are not trapped there!", Mikasa shouted while grabbing him by his wrist sitting him down again. 

"Then how come we can see them!", Levi shouted. 

"They are at another place, a camera records them and then a signal is sent to my television with the image.", Mikasa explained. 

"Through the air?", Levi said. 

"Exactly.", Mikasa said. 

"That's fucking crazy!", he shouted. 

Mikasa chuckled and said, "You want to see crazy? Come with me.", she stood up from the couch, and grabbing a jacket she said, "We are going out, you need clothes anyways, can't have you hanging around with that weird outfit you came with."

"What is wrong with my clothes?!", Levi said in an offended tone. 

"That is not how people dress in this world. We can find something to get by tonight and tomorrow morning now, thanks to twenty-four-hour stores."

"You mean, there are stores that are open all the time?", Levi said as he walked next to her. 

"Yes", Mikasa said as she guided her to the elevator of her apartment building. 

He entered the elevator box giving her a confusing look, when the doors closed he gave her a scared look and got closer to her, when it started moving down he grabbed her and held her close while he said, "This shit is falling, I will protect you! Stay close!"

Mikasa snorted laughing and he gave her a confused look, as she said, "This is an elevator, that is what it does, goes up and down."

It didn't calm Levi as he kept his hold of her which Mikasa found cute. When the doors of the elevator opened again he almost ran while pulling her, out of it. 

Noticing that Mikasa couldn't stop laughing at him he said, "Are you making fun of me?" 

"Just a little.", she said teasingly. 

"Tsc", he said crossing his arms over his chest. 

They walked to the parking lot straight to Mikasa's sports car. She opened the door for him and said, "Get in"

"Is this another moving thing?", he asked while hesitating to whether to get in or not. 

"Yes, but I promise, you will like it. I control this moving thing.", Mikasa said. 

He got in and saw Mikasa turning on the car and the motor sound made the car vibrate showing its power and a smile crept up Levi's face. Mikasa leaned to him, her face close to his and he got nervous, he suddenly felt that he wanted to kiss her when she said, 

"This is the seatbelt, you need to put it on for safety, and to not get pulled over by police officers. You have to wear it, it's the law.", Mikasa said as she plugged his seatbelt and he blushed from the embarrassment of thinking that maybe she wanted to kiss him too. 

The feeling of wanting to kiss someone was new to him, he has lived his whole life in war. On the edge between life and death, watching his comrades die, all of his friends to be exact. He was the last one of his generation left alive, he never even thought about a possibility of romance or anything related to that in his life. The peace that brought him to finally see his world in peace had opened a world of possibilities for him. At last, it was possible to dare and think about a possible happy ending for him. He was brought out of his thought when Mikasa moved the car, he held onto his seatbelt for dear life as she looked at him and said, 

"Ready for the ride of your life?", with a smile on her face. 

He smirked at her and nodded. She got out of the parking lot and started to drive fast making Levi yell, 

"Holy shit!" 

She got into a big, empty, parking lot and started doing doughnuts drifting with her car while Levi yelled, 

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" 

She stopped abruptly and looked at him giving him a smile. He looked at her like she was the sexiest thing alive and said, 

"I want to learn how to do that!"

"I can show you, but you need to learn how to drive first deal?", Mikasa said.

"Deal.", Levi said having the new feeling of finally having something to look forward to. 

They drove all the way to Walmart, Levi was amazed at every little detail. The street lamps, other cars, how fast they could travel. Mikasa was enjoying watching him discovering so many new things, things she had already taken for granted. When the automatic door at Walmart moved, Levi jumped with his fists in front of him ready to fight... the self-moving doors that scared him making Mikasa laugh. 

They walked through the store, Mikasa made him try some clothes on for her to see how it looked. Every time he got out of the dresser to show her the clothes she asked him to turn around, so she could see all angles of it and secretly drool at how hot she found him. After a couple of times of Levi going out of the dresser to show her the new clothes, he was trying on, a group of women had already formed out of the dresser to watch the show. When Levi went out one more time and saw the crowd he walked close to Mikasa and asked her, 

"Is it normal in this world for women to stare like that at men?"

Mikasa looked back and noticed the group of women and gave them a death stare making them all disperse and leave. Then, she looked back at Levi and said, 

"It is not supposed to be normal, they are just not used to see someone like you."

"Someone like me?", he asked curiously. 

Mikasa blushed and tried to explain, "You are... handsome."

"Oh!", Levi said avoiding her gaze and going back to the dresser. 

"You don't have to try on any more clothes, we are good with what we have so far.", Mikasa said.

They finished shopping and Mikasa showed him how to work the self-paying machine. She explained that money can be in cards, how banks and salaries worked and he took in every word like a newborn with the thirst for knowledge. They got back into the car and went back to her apartment building. Levi still held her close to him when the elevator moved, he didn't trust that moving box as he pulled her fast out of it again when the doors finally opened. Mikasa was biting her lower lip to hold herself from laughing at his reactions. 

They arrived back at the apartment and Levi said, 

"So, you said you have to be somewhere tomorrow right?"

"Yes, a work picnic."

"Oh, okay.", Levi said avoiding looking at her in the eyes. 

Mikasa wanted to invite him to go but that implied that he would go as her boyfriend, and she didn't know how to explain such a thing. But she tested the waters first as she asked him, 

"Do you have someone special back in your world?"

"Someone special?", he asked confused. 

"You know, a girlfriend or a partner, something like that."

Levi opened his eyes in shock at the question and avoided her eyes, scratching the back of his head he said, "I never had time to think about stuff like that." 

Mikasa gasped and said, "So you've never... had a girlfriend? Or kissed? Or... you know..."

Levi wanted to drop dead right there, he gave her his back trying to hide his blushed face as he said, "I was always at war, in life or death situations so no, never even thought about it, never kissed someone."

"It must've been hard.", Mikasa said. 

After an awkward silence Levi said, "Well your couch looks comfortable, is it okay for me to spend the night on it? I am also used to sleep on the floor so is no bother to me." 

Mikasa gave him a death stare and said, "What the hell are you talking about. I have a king-size bed in my room with enough space for both of us and the mattress is memory foam. You HAVE to try it!"

Levi gave her a shocked look and nodded, following her to the room. She padded the bed and said, "You can sleep at this side of the bed, go on, try it." 

Levi sat on the bed and jumped out of it, then he said, "Your bed wants to swallow me!"

Mikasa laughed and threw herself on the bed and said, "See, I am still here, the bed didn't kill me, try it!"

Levi sat again on the bed and laid back, he let out a low "hmmm" as he closed his eyes.

"Do you like it?", Mikasa asked him. 

"This is the most comfortable bed I've ever been to. Seriously, it's like magic how this thing shapes with your body. How do you even get away from this in the mornings?", he said. 

"That is my struggle every day.", Mikasa said laughing. 

Levi laughed and said, "You call that struggle!" 

Mikasa threw a pillow at him and covered him with the fluffy comforter as he said, "Just when I thought that it couldn't get any better. I feel like I am in heaven with so many luxuries." 

"You can stay in bed tomorrow while I go to the picnic stuff.", Mikasa said, still wanting to ask him to go with her. 

"Is that something I could go with you? I would like to see more of this world, but I would probably end up lost or dead with all the machines moving around if I go out alone.", he said.

"They are cars, and yes, it can kill you if you walk in front of its path.", Mikasa said. 

Then she sighed and said, "Look, if I bring you they will think that you are my boyfriend. A guy I like told me he was going to bring his girlfriend and asked me if I was going to bring my boyfriend and I panicked and said yes. I was planning on going alone and say that my imaginary boyfriend couldn't make it because of work or something like it." 

"So, just to be clear, you don't have a boyfriend.", he asked. 

"No."

"And you like this guy but he doesn't like you back."

"Yes"

"Is he blind? or stupid? or both?", Levi asked curiously.

"Huh?", Mikasa asked in confusion. 

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror?! You are beautiful! He must be stupid. I can be your boyfriend for tomorrow if that is okay with you.", Levi said making Mikasa blush. 

"How would you pull that off? You said you never had a girlfriend we can't act like strangers there.", Mikasa said. 

"You will have to show me then, how do couples act in this world of yours?", Levi asked taking advantage of the situation.

Mikasa grabbed his hand and interlaced her fingers with his, it was a perfect fit. She said, "They hold hands like this."

"I can do this, what else?", Levi asked. 

Mikasa got closer to him and hugged him and said, "They hug sometimes." noticing that her face was very close to his she said, "What do couples do in your world?"

Levi caressed her hair, moved his hand to her chin, and said, "This" as he got closer to her and kissed her on the lips and she kissed him back. As their kiss intensified, he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her closer to him. Then he stopped the kiss and placed his forehead against hers and said, "like that."

"You liar, you said you haven't kissed anyone before!", Mikasa said. 

"I haven't, did I do something wrong?", he asked in confusion. 

"No... just... nevermind...", Mikasa said while moving to her side of her bed. 

"So, are we good? No more practice?", Levi said with a smirk. 

"We are good, you are coming with me tomorrow.", Mikasa said. 

"So you will be my girlfriend tomorrow?"

"Yes", Mikasa said trying to hide the smile that was starting to form on her face.

"Alright" 

"Good night, Levi."

"Good night, Mikasa."

For the first time in years, Levi found himself smiling, looking forward to tomorrow, hoping that this wasn't just a cruel dream. He slept like he hadn't slept in years, sure the comfortable bed helped on this, but it was more the company of her by his side that made him feel at home, at peace. The next morning they were awakened by someone knocking at the door of her room. 

"Shit, I forgot that Sasha has a key and she told me that she was coming to pick me up for the picnic today.", Mikasa said. 

"Sasha?", Levi asked her with a knot on his chest, remembering the Sasha from his world that he watched die. 

"Yes, she is my best friend.", Mikasa said.

"Mikasa! Come on! I don't want to be late! Connie will meet me there, I don't want to keep him waiting!", Sasha said through the closed door.

Levi recognized her voice and ran to open the door while Mikasa tried to stop him, "No! No! No!", she said and Levi slammed open the door.

Sasha's jaw dropped seeing a man getting out of Mikasa's room and Levi had his eyes glued on her.

"Do I know you from somewhere?", Sasha said.

Levi hugged her and with a broken voice, he said, "You are alive. God, Sasha you are alive."

Sasha froze not knowing what to do, and Mikasa pulled him back and asked him what was going on when Levi explained,

"In my world, she was part of my squad, I watched her die Mikasa!", Levi said.

Sasha looked at them like they were crazy and Mikasa told her,

"Sasha, we need to talk, there is something about me that you don't know."

After they explained the multiverse, the machine, Levi being from another world, where another Sasha existed and died. That Levi would be the pretend boyfriend of Mikasa for the picnic. Sasha stared at them in shock, then she said,

"I wonder who else you could find here in this world. You certainly can't react the same way you did with me."

"I'm sorry, I was just...", Levi said.

"I know", Sasha said putting a hand on his shoulder.

Mikasa pulled out her phone and looked for her pictures, she showed her a picture of everyone from her work to him and asked him, "Do you recognize anyone else here?"

Levi stared at the picture in shock, trying to hold back his tears as he said, "They are all alive? Here?"

"Don't tell me...", Mikasa said.

"They are all from my old squad, I watched them die in my world. I had nobody left from my generation. They are alive here?", Levi asked Mikasa.

"They are my coworkers, they will be at the picnic.", She said.

"Why isn't there another Levi like him then?", Sasha asked.

"Maybe this world just doesn't have one? The possibilities are endless when we talk about the multiverse.", Mikasa said.

"But why did I felt like I knew him when I saw him? Like something that I didn't know that was missing suddenly fell into place.", Sasha asked.

"I have no idea, we would have to see how the others react.", Mikasa said.

"Can you still go knowing what you will see there?", Sasha asked Levi worriedly.

"Yes, I want to see them again, even though is not really them... I want to go.", he responded.

They drove to Erwin's and Hange's house, got out of the car, and Mikasa asked him,

"Are you ready?"

He took a deep breath, grabbed her hand the way she showed him the night before, and they started walking to the house. Mikasa rang the bell and Hange opened the door with her usual smile when she looked at Levi she froze. She stood there for a moment staring at him as he stared back at her trying to keep his composure.

"Why do I feel like I know you?", Hange asked him.

"Because maybe you did? Another lifetime? If you believe in those things.", Levi said with a gentle smile.

She didn't know why she felt a nostalgic feeling towards him, and she felt the need to hug him. She pulled him for a hug, startling him and he hugged her back. She didn't know why her eyes watered and she felt like she just got back something that was missing.

Erwin appeared at the door and watched curiously how Hange hugged the familiar man. When Hange let him go, Levi looked at Erwin, and Erwin asked him the same question,

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Right!? I felt the same thing!? I think he is like a friend from another lifetime or something!", Hange said excitedly.

"Hi, Erwin, good to finally find you in this lifetime.", Levi said with a smile making Erwin drop a tear at the nostalgic feeling he suddenly felt. He also pulled him for a hug and said,

"I don't know why, I don't know how, but it feels like you were a missing part of us that found its way back. I must sound crazy.", Erwin said.

"Then let me sound crazy too when I say, it's good to be back.", Levi answered.

Sasha gave a shocked look to Mikasa and started jumping out of excitement. They entered the house and walked to the patio where Erwin was working the BBQ and the rest of the gang waited. When Levi arrived at the patio, everyone stared at him with the same nostalgic eyes. Oluo, Gunther, Petra, Eld, Jean, Connie, Christa, Ymir, Isabel, Armin, Farlan... all were there.

Levi tried to keep his composure while he tightened his hold on Mikasa's hand, and she knew how hard it was for him. One by one, they introduced themselves, all of them asking if they had met before. Hange jumped in the middle of it to scream her past life theory making Levi shook his head. _Same old Hange, no matter the world, she is always the same,_ he thought.

After a couple of beers and jokes, Levi felt like he was part of the group. They were all the same as his fallen friends, and treated him equally, with the same level of familiarity. He felt welcomed, he felt at home. Surprising Mikasa now and then with a hug which always made her blush, and grabbing her hand every time he was next to her.

"Levi! Come here and try this steak out!", Erwin said.

"Let's see those cooking skills of yours", Levi responded teasingly.

He walked to him and grabbed a plate with a steak on it, "Holy shit this is good!", Levi said with the first bite making Erwin laugh.

"Oi! Levi! Want to play football with us?!", Oluo shouted.

"Football?", Levi asked Mikasa.

Mikasa addressed the guys and said, "You will have to explain the rules to him. He is not from the states."

"Alright cool, no problem, come here!", Eld said and Levi jogged towards them.

Mikasa stared at him as he played with the guys like he was already a pro player on that sport.

"Impressive, isn't it?", Sasha said.

"It is.", Mikasa responded.

"Levi you should join our team! You are a natural!", Eld said.

Levi looked at Mikasa, and she nodded at him, then he responded, "Okay, I don't mind."

Mikasa was having such a good time watching Levi interact with everyone. Watching enjoying this new world made her feel happy, she didn't even notice that Eren had arrived with his girlfriend Annie. The game ended and Levi jogged back to Mikasa, grabbed her by the waist, and kissed her on the lips. She blushed at his action when she noticed someone next to her. Eren and Annie were standing next to her. Mikasa looked back at Levi and he winked at her, letting her know that he knew that he was the guy and that's why he kissed her.

"Hi, Mikasa, I see you brought your boyfriend.", Eren said with a sour tone.

Levi, who didn't miss his reaction, smirked at him and said, "My name is Levi. Is good to meet you."

Eren gave him a suspicious look and asked, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I was thinking the same thing, you look so familiar.", Annie said.

Hange jumped in to explain her past life theory making Levi laugh at her sudden, normal for her, intrusion.

"Interesting", Eren said.

While Levi looked at him and thought, _I can make you remember with a beating brat._

"Let's go eat the food is ready.", Mikasa told Levi noticing the tension in the air.

They went to eat and Levi held Mikasa close to him for the rest of the day. He had his arm around her waist while she rested her head against his shoulder. He enjoyed having her close and she was liking it too. She forgot that Eren was even there, she spent most of the time talking with Levi or listening to him talking and joking with everyone else.

They left back to the apartment and Mikasa had her phone messages flooded with all of them asking her about Levi. They liked him, and they definitely wanted to see him again. She smiled as she read the messages when Levi asked her,

"Is everything alright?"

"Everyone is asking about you now, they liked you. They want to see you again.", She responded. 

"I don't mind being your boyfriend again. But I think we need more practice.", He said with a smirk.

Mikasa gave him a suspicious look and said, "And why is that?"

"Because if you keep reacting in shock every time I kiss you they will get suspicious don't you think?", he said nonchalantly.

"It seems like you are liking this, aren't you?", Mikasa asked teasingly.

Levi stopped to think for a moment. He never dared to think about a possible happy future for himself or the possibility of having a life companion. This new world gave him all of those possibilities, would he like to go back? To who? Everyone he knew was dead, there was nobody left for him there. But it was still his world, the one he fought for, the one his comrades fought for. Could he really be happy somewhere else? Does he even know how to be happy?

Noticing his lack of response, Mikasa walked to her room thinking that maybe she overstepped with her question. He walked into the room and laid next to her on the bed and she said,

"I will start working on the machine tomorrow. I took a couple of days off to work full-time on it."

Levi just nodded as he thought that maybe she didn't want him to stay as much as he wanted to. 

The next days passed with a lot of visits from the guys saying as an excuse that they wanted to see Mikasa when in reality they just wanted to hang with Levi too. Levi fell more in love with the vacuum cleaner making Mikasa hide the thing from him once in a while. Levi teased Mikasa by randomly kissing her using 'practice' as an excuse for it while Mikasa secretly liked it. She bought him different flavors of tea that he enjoyed every day and even showed him how to use the coffee machine to only get hot water for the tea. He spent his time alone, when she was at the lab room, reading about this world of hers, history, technology (for dummies) even about art.

She noticed she was close to finishing the work to create the vortex to send him back when she realized that she didn't want him to leave. But it wasn't her decision to make, so she started to test the waters,

"If you were to stay, what would you do with your life in this world?", Mikasa asked him.

Without hesitation or giving it much thought he answered, "A tea shop, no matter the world."

She sighed in frustration as she said, "You know, if you want to stay here, you are more than welcomed to."

Levi looked at her curiously and got close to her as he asked her, "Do you want me to stay?"

She avoided his gaze and said, "That is not my decision to make."

"I want to know.", Levi said grabbing her chin forcing her to look at him.

"Will my answer affect your decision?", She asked him.

"Yes"

"Then I won't answer, this has to be yours and only your decision. I don't want to be held accountable if you regret your choice in the future.", she said.

Levi nodded in understanding and went back to his books as she walked back to her lab room. She wanted to scream at him to not leave, to stay here with her, but she couldn't. She felt selfish for just thinking that way. It was his world in the end, his people, it would be asking him to leave everything he knew behind just because she liked him? It wasn't right.

She stayed up working on her lab until late that night. Getting out of the room, ready to go to bed she found Levi still sitting on the couch reading books. She sighed and said,

"The machine will be ready tomorrow."

Levi stood up and walked towards her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him, and gave her a hug. She felt like he was giving her a last hug, a form of goodbye. Does he really want to leave? She felt a knot in her chest at the thought of him leaving. She didn't want to let go, so for the first time, she did what he always did, kiss him. It was the first time that she kissed him first. He was caught off guard for a moment, but then he kissed her back. She said with her kiss and her touch what she couldn't put in words and he replied back.

He forgot about his world, about the million questions that ran through his mind, it was this, right here, right now, what he wanted. He wasn't needed anymore to fight, the war was already won. For the first time in his life, he allowed himself to think about his own happiness selfishly, and fuck it, fuck everything, he wanted her, he wanted to stay in this world that felt like home. For the first time in his life, he dared to want to be happy. He stopped the kiss and said,

"I want to stay."

Mikasa sighed in relief and said, "I want you to stay."

Levi caressed her hair and said, "But, I don't want to keep acting about something that I want to be real."

"What makes you think that it's not real?", she replied seriously.

"I thought you had feelings for Eren.", Levi said in confusion.

"Eren who?", She replied.

"So it's real then? You really like me?"

"Levi, is more than that, I am already yours."

Levi smiled and kissed her, he couldn't believe that at least once, luck was by his side. He would enjoy every minute of this new chance in life because finally, he felt like he was at home.  
  
  
  



End file.
